Preprofessional Opportunities

Columbia University Medical Center

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Description

Description: The volunteer program at Columbia University Department of Psychiatry is service-oriented. Volunteers work in alliance with employees in various departments. They are an essential part of the staff. The Columbia University Department of Psychiatry is mainly a research organization; therefore, most of our volunteers choose to work on our many research studies. Volunteer tasks vary from clerical work to patient or research subject contact, usually observing interviews performed by our researchers.

Description: The Women At Risk program is based on enhancing the lives of women who are at high risk for the development of breast cancer and women with breast cancer through research, education and support.

Volunteer Opportunities: On-Call Volunteer: There are certain times during the year when the WAR office needs help with very large mailings. Being an "On-Call" volunteer would involve allowing us to contact you, with a few days notice, to see if you would be available to come in and lend a hand.

Event Volunteer: Throughout the year, Women At Risk sponsors events (such as the Annual Luncheon and the Wine, Food, & Art Auction) that require additional help from volunteers.

Contact: Rene Bouchard , 212-305-5917

Resource Library Volunteer The WAR Resource Library volunteer's central purpose is to provide information and support to women undergoing screening, diagnosis, and treatment for breast cancer. In addition, they assist patients who visit oncologists for consultation regarding other cancers. New volunteers are trained for approximately three hours, in two sessions by a social worker and the Library Coordinator, and spend three half-day sessions as "interns" with regular library volunteers. After that time, a new volunteer can assume either a weekly or half-day assignment, or act as a substitute for library volunteers. Volunteers need to be cancer survivors, preferable of breast cancer, who are at least one year out of treatment.

Descripion: HEAL is a volunteer driven project to promote health literacy and improve health outcomes for parents and children in outpatient pediatric clinics. The program aims to decrease medication errors and increase compliance with treatments prescribed by pediatricians through improving health literacy in the population served.